Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Good morning friends. Today is my birthday and I am celebrating it with author Leanne Banks. Here she is to tell us a little bit about her latest release.

Tell us a little bit about your latest release THE DOCTOR TAKES A PRINCESS.

This book features an underestimated princess. Bridget is often thought of as the lighthearted charming sister, perhaps even a bit self-centered. In the story, she has one last assignment before she gets to take a long overdue break. Her assignment is to work with a doctor at a medical center to bring new doctors to her island country of Chantaine.

Dr. Ryder McCall has no intention of letting his prize doctors take off for some island country. It would be bad for their careers. Plus, he has his hands full since he has taken over the care of his twin six-month old nephews.

What I love about this book is the way that both characters grow and change. Princess Bridget isn’t really a baby person. She’s more of a call-the-nanny person, which she does. But the nanny isn’t always available, so Bridget has to deal with the twins on her own.

Dr. Ryder McCall’s career has always been first with him. Taking care of his nephews and meeting Bridget turns his world upside down. He’s forced to take a different point of view and along the way, he learns what is truly important to him.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing a follow-up to THE DOCTOR TAKES A PRINCESS. This book features Bridget’s sister Phillipa, aka Pippa, and hey, I named this character LONG before we had Kate and Pippa!:)

Every author that I have spoken to has their own writing process. Some spend weeks working on character building charts. Some use post it notes to plot their entire book. Other’s pull pictures from magazines and make a story board of sorts. What is your writing process and how long would you say it takes you when a new idea is sparked from sketching out the details to getting to THE END?

I’ll try anything!lol I’ve used post it notes. I’ve tried creating a collage. I enjoy character building. I hate plotting. I almost feel that a root canal would be easier than plotting. It’s mostly my fault, though, because I believe the plot needs to come as a result of the character’s growth. I think writing an autobiography from the main characters’ pov helps. I find the critical questions are: What does my hero/heroine most fear? What is my hero/heroine’s secret wish? My writing process involves a lot of brooding, cursing at the cursor, and making lists. Lists of ways to express conflict. Ways to get the hero and heroine together. I especially love using the brainstorming technique of the list of 20. What you do is list (WITHOUT EDITING) 20 ideas to solve your problem, or 20 scenes, whatever assignment you’ve given yourself. How long does it take me? Too long. I don’t schedule myself to write more than 3 books per year because I have found, unfortunately, that I’m not writing faster with each book.

Where does your inspiration come from?My curiosity about a character and a story. Where will it go? I get to know the characters and I want to see how they evolve. I’m not a complete pantser or plotter. I often get to the end of book and say, “Oh, so that’s what it was all about.” That means I spend a lot of time driving in the dark!

If you had to pick a favorite character that you have created or one that you wish you had created who would it be and why?

I loved the characters from EXPECTANT FATHER. The hero is a genius with anger management issues. He was so tortured because he was a research scientist trying to cure Alzheimers.

What type of hero do you find irresistible?

I prefer a man with intelligence and a sense of humor. I have no use for a man or hero, who doesn’t have those qualities.

What is your favorite thing about writing romance?The growth, the struggle and the happily-ever-after. I like it that our heroes and heroines must earn their happiness.

Tell us about the classes that you offer.I’ve given several presentations, but the one I enjoy most is on Brainstorming. I present 17 brainstorming techniques, then the class divides into small groups to solve problems. Everyone leaves that class feeling empowered.